Alternative (album)
| rev2 = Robert Christgau | rev2Score = }} Alternative is a compilation album by English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was first released in 1995. Alternative is a 2-disc set, consisting of 30 B-sides in chronological order. The title Alternative was a last-minute change from the title that had been long saved for such an album, Besides, but that title was taken by American rock band Sugar, who released their own B-sides compilation two months prior. Alternative only really gained popularity among devoted fans of Pet Shop Boys with the exception of the UK, where it entered the charts at #2. A remake of the original 7-inch "Paninaro", titled "Paninaro '95", was released as a single (which was featured in the later PopArt set) to promote the 2-disc compilation. The cover of Alternative features photographs of Tennant and Lowe in fencing masks. The first copies of the CD have a lenticular image on the cover which shifts between the two photographs. Neil Tennant admitted in a radio interview with Absolute Radio that a second B-side album may be released in 2010. This materialised on 11 November 2011 when the duo announced through Varsity that they would release another B-sides album in February 2012 titled Format. Track listing Personnel *Neil Tennant *Chris Lowe ;Producers *Pet Shop Boys – all tracks except disc 1: track 13 *Phil Harding – disc 1: track 1 *Bobby O – disc 1: track 2 *Shep Pettibone – disc 1: track 7, additional production on disc 1: track 4 *David Jacob – disc 1: track 8 *Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson – disc 1: track 13 *Harold Faltermeyer – disc 2: track 6 *Stephen Hague – additional production on disc 2: tracks 7 and 9 *Jonathon Ruffle – disc 2: track 8 *Richard Niles – disc 2: track 13 ;Guest musicians *Blue Weaver – Fairlight programming on disc 1: tracks 1 and 11, Hammond organ on disc 1: track 11 *Adrien Cook – Fairlight programming on disc 1: tracks 5, 6 and 7 *Helena Springs – additional vocals on disc 1: track 7 *Stephen Lipson – guitar on disc 1: track 11 *Shirley Lewis and Dee Lewis – additional vocals on disc 1: track 11 *Chris Newman – assistant Fairlight programming on disc 1: track 12, additional programming on disc 2: track 4 *Juliet Roberts – additional vocals on disc 2: track 2 *Dominic Clarke – programming on disc 2: tracks 2 and 3 *Gary Maughan – additional keyboards on disc 2: track 3 *Scott Davidson – programming on disc 2: track 5 *Harold Faltermeyer – programming on disc 2: track 6 *Pete Gleadall – programming on disc 2: tracks 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15 *Richard Coles – additional keyboards on disc 2: track 8 *Carol Kenyon, Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles – additional vocals on disc 2: track 9 *Bruce Woolley – additional vocals on disc 2: track 10 *J.J. Belle – guitar on disc 2: track 11 *Sylvia Mason-James – additional vocals on disc 2: track 11 *Johnny Marr – guitar on disc 2: track 12 *Frank Ricotti – percussion and vibraphone on disc 2: track 12 *Richard Niles – string arrangement and conduction on disc 2: track 12, arrangement and conduction on disc 2: track 13 *Tony Walthers, Daniel Gaha & Lance Ellington – backing vocals on disc 2: track 13 *Gerard Presencer – trumpet solo on disc 2: track 13 References Category:B-side compilation albums Category:Pet Shop Boys compilation albums Category:1995 compilation albums Category:Parlophone compilation albums